Detection of the Devonian Hangenberg Event in an Open Oceanic Island Arc

Climate instability and tipping points in the Late Devonian: Detection of the Hangenberg Event in an open oceanic island arc in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Authors:

Carmichael et al

Abstract:

Sedimentary petrology and trace element geochemistry indicate that the Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous Heishantou Formation near Boulongour Reservoir (NW Xinjiang, China) was deposited on a steep slope, mid-latitude accreting island arc complex in an open oceanic system. Bulk 87Sr/86Sr ratios show excursion patterns that are consistent with excursions at the Devonian-Carboniferous (D-C) boundary in epicontinental margin sediments. Sedimentation rates for the Boulongour Reservoir sediments show highly variable rates that range from 0.5 cm/ky to 10 cm/ky, consistent with other Late Devonian sections and modern arc environments. Multiple whole rock geochemical proxies for anoxia and the size and distribution of pyrite framboids suggest the presence of the Hangenberg Event in the sediments associated with the D-C boundary, despite the lack of visible black shale. The presence of anoxia in an open ocean, island arc environment cannot be explained by upwelling of anoxic bottom waters at this paleolatitude, but can be explained by the global infliction of oceanic shallow water eutrophication on to a climate system in distress.